The Darkness Returns
by Vialco
Summary: Three years after Yuki Juudai defeats Darkness, an old evil returns from death, under mysterious circumstances.
1. Chapter 1

Yu-gi-oh belongs to Kazuki Takahashi

**Three years after the defeat of Darkness, an old evil returns for a mysterious purpose**

Chapter One

Lightning flashed in the sky and the wind howled.

Warren glanced out his apartment window at the stormy sky and frowned. For a moment he thought he had heard laughter. "Jiana?" he asked, "Was that you?"

His Chinese girlfriend called back to him, "Was what me?"

Warren shook his head, "Never mind," he said, staring out again, "Never mind."

A bolt of lightning struck the ground, and a dark cackle filled the air. A moment later, a figure staggered out of the darkness. He was tall, with dark blond hair and almond eyes. He wore dark clothes, black jeans and a dark shirt, under an even darker jacket.

He shook his head in confusion, where was he, who was he. He fumbled in his pockets for any form of ID or anything that could identify him. All he came up with was a deck of strange cards, each emblazoned with an image and text. He flipped through the deck, glancing at the strange images, none of them seeming familiar. He frowned and looked around. Spying a small, shabby looking building, he began to walk towards it, his gait becoming steadier with each step.

Two men stood at the entrance, dressed in cheap-looking suits, they both looked rather intimidating. But the figure was not swayed, and one of the men looked him up and down, and then frowned, spying the deck in his hands.

"Oh, you're here to duel, fine, go on in."

The figure blinked, but stepped through the open door, eager to get out of the cold rain.

He passed the foyer and descended a flight of stairs, following the rumble of excited voices. Pushing open a heavy steel door, he walked into a large, underground chamber. It was oval-shaped, with two men standing at either end, and spectators arrayed around the ring. Great monsters stood in the center of the ring and they appeared to be doing battle. Amazed at this incredible sight, the man stood there, wide-eyed and awed. Abruptly a voice sounded out, "You, did Saruyama send you."

He turned to see a short, fat balding man standing behind him, a worried look in his eyes.

"I asked you a question, are you my duelist for the night."

The figure blinked, and then something inside made him say "Yes, I am the duelist."

While he wondered why he had said such a thing, the fat man breathed a sigh of relief, "Finally, come on, you're duelling soon." With that, he led the man away, down a hallway and into a small room, where a few chairs were arrayed in front of a set of mirrors.

"I'll leave you here," said the man, "I'll call you up for your turn soon."

The figure sat down, but before he could ponder his situation, the man spoke again, "By the way, what's your name?"

The figure was confused, but something inside spoke again, "Hasam, my name is Hasam."

The fat man seemed satisfied, and walked away, leaving Hasam alone with his thoughts.

He glanced down at the cards again, and slowly, memories began to flood into his brain. He remembered these cards, he thought, they were for a game.

A game called Duel Monsters. He flipped through the deck again, this recognizing the creatures on the cards. A creature that was made of slime, an armoured demon wielding an scimitar, a machine made entirely of drills. How did he know these cards, Hasam wondered, had he once used them or was he simply mad.

He had little time to ponder this, as the fat man re-entered the room, "Hurry up, it's your turn."

Hasam rose, sliding the deck back into his pocket, and walked toward the door, wondering idly if he should go through with this or not. The bald fool obviously believed that Hasam had been sent by one of his associates, Saruyama, as a duelist. He cared not for the fool's problems, but perhaps he could regain more of his memories if he participated in this duel.

He was about to exit the room when the man spoke sharply, "Hey, wait a minute."

Hasam tensed and spun to face the balding fellow, ready to run if need be.

"Where's your duel disk?" asked the duelling manager.

Hasam frowned, he had no idea what a duel disk was. Abruptly, the image of a tray-like device with lights and slots came to mind, and without even thinking, he replied, "I left mine at home."

The manager gave a long-suffering sigh, and went over to a desk in the corner. After rummaging around for a few moments, he came with a battered looking version of the device Hasam had just thought about.

"Here," he said, handing it to the dark-skinned man, "Now get out there, my audience is getting impatient.

Hasam accepted the device and instinctively strapped it to his wrist, sliding his deck into the holster. He must have played this game often, he realized, for it was like a second nature to him.

Duel disk on his arm, he strode down the hallway, the sounds of cheering growing louder as he approached the exit.

He entered the arena at one end and glanced around the great room, shielding his eyes from the harsh glow of the spotlights. At the opposite end of the ring stood a tall man with auburn hair tied back in a ponytail. A silver duel disk hung on his arm, and his grey eyes shone with a fierce intensity.

Hasam frowned, and raised his arm, tapping a button on his disk. The machine came to life and the lights in the arena dimmed slightly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, tonight's competitors are the Different Dimension Duelist, Kouji Walan."

Kouji appeared to be a crowd favourite as many people cheered at the mention of his name. Hasam narrowed his eyes at this, but remained unphased.

"And his opponent, a newcomer, the Mighty Hasam."

A few people cheered half-heartedly, but Hasam ignored them. He felt a heady sense of anticipation building in him. By the time he was done, this preening fool would be _drowning in the deepest shadows_.

He shook his head sharply, where had that thought come from?

But he had no time to consider, as his opponent was taking the first turn.

"I draw," said Kouji, and slammed a card onto his disk, "I summon D.D. Assailant in attack mode."

(Earth, Level 4, Warrior, 1700/1600)

An armoured woman, dressed in white appeared, she held a great sword, easily as tall as her.

Kouji set another card face down and waved his hand.

Hasam drew, and smiled, "I summon Newdoria," (Dark, Level 4, Fiend, 1200/800).

A gangly looking creature appeared, it had green hair and wore a spiked headband, covering it's eyes.

Hasam grinned at the sight of the evil beast, "Attack D.D. Assailant."

The lanky demon charged at the woman, it's hands held up high.

The Assailant affected a look of annoyance, but Kouji's eyes widened in surprise, "I activate my trap," he shouted, "Dimensional Prison."

The charging Fiend gave a sudden gasp and simply vanished into thin air. Hasam growled and fitted another card into his disk, then waved his hand.

Kouji grinned, and drew. "I summon D.D. Survivor," he said, and a tall man appeared, his entire body was shrouded in a tattered cloak, only his silver eyes were visible. "I just love this one," said the dark-haired man, "He's so dark and mysterious." (Dark, Level 4, Warrior, 1800/200)

Hasam just raised an eyebrow, and Kouji laughed, "Fine, let's see how you like him after he attacks."

"D.D. Survivor, attack Hasam directly."

The cloaked man raised his hands and unleashed a sparkling blast of energy from them. The blast slammed into Hasam and nearly drove him to his knees.

**(H: 2200) (K:4000)**

He gasped, but remained upright, just as the Assailant charged forward and thrust her blade into his chest. He screamed in pain and fell backwards, clutching at his torso.

Kouji began to chuckle, "You are nothing but an amateur, real duelists can take such an attack without flinching."

**(H: 500) (K:4000)**

Hasam felt an unnatural rage beginning to build in him, and he rose to his feet, "I draw," he shouted. He glanced at the card and flinched.

_I'm giving you a gift, a hot flaming one. Keh he he he._

He gasped at the sudden thought, was he going mad? He placed the card on his disk, "I sacrifice your two monsters and summon Lava Golem on your side of the field." (Fire, Level 8, Fiend, 3000/2500)

The two dimensional monsters vanished and a massive blob of lava appeared. It resembled nothing more than a ten-foot tall molten mass, with bulbous eyes and a misshapen mouth. In front of the creature, a metal cage materialized aroun Kouji, trapping him directly beneath the flaming creature.

Hasam laughed and ended his turn.

Kouji swallowed hard, he knew what Lava Golem could do. Taking a deep breath, he drew a card and bit back a scream as the monster began melt, dripping hot molten lava on it's owner.

**(H: 500) (K:3000)**

Kouji glanced at the card, then shrugged, "Your monster matters not, fool, you have nothing left to protect you, you're finished." Lava Golem opened it's mouth to belch fire, but suddenly shrieked in apparent agony. Hasam's face down card lifted and suddenly Lava Golem was screaming as a spiked torture wheel hovered above it, exerting a deadly influence over the creature.

"What did you do?" Kouji demanded, and his opponent grinned in a way that made him look quite deranged.

"I activated my Nightmare Wheel trap card. Now your Golem can't move, and you will lose 500 life points every time my turn begins." He began to chuckle again.

Kouji growled and placed another monster in defense mode and set a card face down.

Hasam drew and Kouji suddenly felt as if a thousand nails were being driven into his skull, and he heard the Nightmare Wheel turn.

**(H: 500) (K:2500)**

Hasam looked at his hand, then set two cards face down, and waved his hand.

Kouji frowned, and then screamed as Lava Golem dripped on him again.

**(I: 500) (K:1500)**

He gasped as he drew a card, and then grinned, "I sacrifice Lava Golem and summon Divine Knight Ishzark. The molten monstrosity vanished and was replaced by a knight dressed in fancy white armor, whose visor covered his eyes. He held a sword similar to the D.D. Assailant's, and held it up in a threatening manner. (Light, Level 6, Warrior, 2300/1700)

Kouji breathed a sigh of relief, and pointed at his opponent. Ishzark charged forward, and skidded to a stop as a massive blob of slime appeared in front of him, blocking his path.

Hasam laughed in a high-pitched tone, "I activated Metal Reflect Slime." (Water, Level 10, Aqua, 0/3000)

"What is that?" gasped Kouji

Hasam grinned, displaying bright white teeth, "It's both a trap and a monster with 3000 defense points."

Kouji hissed in surprise, and then glanced at his remaining cards, "I end my turn."

Hasam laughed and drew a card, "It's time to end this, I summon Melchid the Four-Faced Beast," a demon wearing four different masks appeared, each one diplaying an evil smile. Hasam then switched cards on his disk, "And now I sacrifice Metal Reflect Slime and Melchid the Four-Faced Beast to summon the Masked Beast Des Guardius." (Dark, Level 8,Fiend, 3300/2500)

Melchid and the protoplasm vanished and were replaced by a large demon. Standing ten feet tall, it had orange skin, sharp claws and wore three masks on it's upper torso, it had no visible face. Hasam gestured, and his face-down card lifted, revealing a cloaked man praying in a graveyard. He then slid one more card into his disk, and a dark necklace appeared on the the demon's neck, it's single black opal shimmering in the light.

"The Black Pendant's dark magic raises my monster's attack power by 500 points," crowed Hasam. (3800/2500) Then he pointed at the Divine Knight, and the Masked Beast charged forward, it's sharp claws gleaming. Ishzark stood his ground, even as the Masked Beast swung it's talons and split the warrior from another dimension in half.

Kouji screamed as his life points dropped to zero.

**(I: 500) (K:0)**

There was silence in the arena for a few moments, and then the announcer's voice rang out, "Your winner, Hasam!"

There were no cheers, just the shocked murmurs of the crowd and the agonized groans of Hasam's fallen opponent.

After a moment, the holograms vanished and Hasam spun on his heel, he had no desire to remain here, this duel had brought back some faint flashes of his past, he could recall another opponent. A blonde woman, busty and vivacious, her face twisted in the sweetest terror. And he could recall a single name, _Mai_.

Hasam strode out of the arena, _Mai_, he thought, that was the key to his past.

In a dark room, a tall figure rose from his meditations.

"It worked," he said, seemingly to no one.

There was a swooshing noise, almost as if a wind had blown through the room, except the chamber was completely sealed, with no doors or windows open.

"It will take time for him to recover his power and skills."

The air swooshed again, and the figure bowed his head, "I understand," he said, "I will accelerate our plans." He rose and left the dark chamber, there was work to be done.


	2. Chapter 2

Warren Davis was an accomplished man, he had graduated from Duel Academia nearly two years ago, ignoring his father's request that he take over the family business. He had triumphed in the Pro Leagues, and even though he'd had to depart early due to his father's heart attack, he had still been considered a famous duelist. Now he controlled Davis Inc., a Japanese boat company, and he hadn't duelled in years, and yet somehow, people kept sending him offers to duel in tournaments.

Warren slammed the letter down on his desk and let out an exasperated sigh, "Why won't these people leave me alone," he said to no one in particular. He rubbed his temples in pain and shoved the shipping invoices into a corner of his desk, he needed a distraction. Snatching the remote off his desk, he clicked on the television, and turned his chair to face the large flatscreen mounted on one of the office walls.

A handsome male news anchor was speaking animatedly, and as Warren increased the volume, he noticed a man on stretcher being moved into a hospital.

"And the injured person has been identified as Kouji Walan, a former Pro League Duelist."

Warren's eyes widened in surprise, he knew that name.

As the anchor continued to describe how Kouji had been found lying injured in an alley, Warren sifted through his memories of his old classmate. Kouji had been a student at Duel Academia just like him; only he'd been less wealthy and had difficulty getting a sponsor for the Pro League. Warren hadn't seen him since he had left the Pro Circuit.

"Based on his injuries, it is believed that Walan was involved in Underground Dueling, which is known to be much more extreme than the regular style."

Warren's eyes narrowed as he heard the announcer mention those words, _Underground Duel_.

He had fought those same battles for a few dark months. After his father had died, Warren had been consumed by guilt and had attempted to drown his emotions in the mindless violence of the Underground Circuit. Jiana had saved him from the darkness and he'd put down his Duel Disk, vowing never to duel again.

"Doctors are unsure as to the cause of Walan's injuries, but one thing is clear, they are not the product of the electrodes normally used in illegal duels."

A commercial cut on, and Warren clicked the TV off, but his mind was still pondering the anchor's last words. If Kouji's injuries weren't the product of electrodes, then what could have caused them?

He pondered it for a few more moments, and then he picked up the phone, he knew someone who might be able to help with this.

Across town, a phone rang, and a figure picked it up.

"Yes?" she asked

"It's me," said Warren, "I've just seen an old friend on the news, he's in critical condition."

"I see," said the woman, "While I'm sorry for your friend, I don't know how this affects me?"

Warren laughed, "I'm getting there, Reiko, you're just as impatient as always."

His tone became serious, "He was participating in Underground Duels,"

Reiko's breath caught in her throat, and her grip tightened on the phone, "I understand, Warren, give me his name, and I'll see what I can do."

"His name's Kouji Walan," said Warren, his voice full of relief, "But there's one more thing you should know," and his voice tightened again, "His injuries weren't caused by any normal means."

Reiko hissed under her breath, "Thanks for calling me Warren, and don't worry, I'll get to the bottom of this very soon."

Warren thanked her and then hung up, a feeling of relief flowing through his body; Reiko would know exactly what to do. He shivered at the thought of those dark days, and he quickly stood up from his desk, he needed to find Jiana, she was the only one who could chase those dark memories away.

This arena was different from the last one, thought Hasam, the fat promoter; Asamiya had told him that locations had changed. He wondered why they had chosen to do so, and then shrugged; their affairs were of no concern to him. Asamiya had paid him for his duel with Walan and had invited him to return, stating that the crowd liked to see a new face from time to time.

Hasam had accepted, using the money to pay for a cheap motel. He had tried his hardest to search for the name in the three days that had passed since his last duel, but he had come up with nothing.

_Mai_

How did that name relate to him? It certainly wasn't a Japanese name, but neither was Hasam, and the amnesiac duelist knew that he didn't look Japanese in the slightest.

He paced his green room in anxiousness, the money he'd made had been more than enough for food and clothing, and he was only dueling to find more answers.

A sharp rap sounded on the door, and Hasam threw it open, causing the flunky outside to jump in shock. He pushed the fool out his way and strode towards the ring, his newly acquired cape flapping in the air behind him.

Hasam entered the ring, a heady sense of anticipation building in his limbs. He grinned at the sound of the cheers as the announcer called out his name. This was going to be _fun_, he thought, he would enjoy crushing whoever his opponent was.

_The power inside me has been released, with every soul I sacrifice to the darkness, my strength grows._

Hasam clutched his head in pain at the sudden memory, but he had no time to recover, as his opponent was ready.

This opponent was strikingly different from his last one. This man was well muscled, with collar-length black hair and a dark leather jacket. His eyes shone with righteous anger, and his duel disk was pitch-black with green orbs.

"Tonight's competitors are the Mighty Hasam vs. the Incredible Akira."

Akira glared at Hasam, 'You may have beaten Kouji, but that was just a fluke"

He slammed his deck into his disk, "You're going down, Hasam."

Hasam chuckled darkly, "Say what you want, before the darkness fills your mouth. H-ha ha ha."

**(H: 4000) (A: 4000)**

"I'll begin," declared Akira, and he snapped a sixth card off his disk, and then he glanced at his cards.

"I summon Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts in attack mode." (1500/1200)

A large gazelle appeared, his dark-furred body tense for battle, his sharp horn gleaming.

Akira set another card face-down and gestured to end his turn.

Hasam's face twisted in a toothy smile, and he drew a card.

"I summon Dark Jeroid, in attack mode." (1200/800)

A strange Fiend appeared; it had blue skin and four legs, with a pair of pincers protruding from its shoulders and a sickly mouth on its lower torso.

Dark Jeroid opened its mouth and exhaled a dark mist in Gazelle's direction.

The King of Mythical Beasts gave a pained howl as the mist surrounded it, and its attack score fell by 800 points. (700/1200)

"My Jeroid weakens one monster on the field by 800 points as soon as it's summoned."

Hasam pointed and Dark Jeroid leapt forward and slammed it's pincers into the weakened Gazelle.

The beast gave a pained howl and exploded into pixels, and Akira cringed.

**(H: 4000) (A: 3500)**

Hasam fitted two cards into his disk and gestured, ending his turn.

Akira's eyes narrowed and he drew a card, and then slammed another one onto his disk, "I summon Phantom Beast Cross-Wing." (1300/1300)

A great golden eagle appeared; it had two sets of wings and emitted a loud screech.

"Now I activate my trap, Next to Be Lost."

Akira's face-down card lifted up, to show a Happy Lover falling from the sky.

"This card lets me select a monster on my field and then send a monster with the same name from my deck to my graveyard."

"Not so fast," shouted Hasam, "You triggered my trap, Coffin Seller."

The card showing a cloaked man in a graveyard lifted, and suddenly a dark aura began to surround Akira.

"What the hell is this?" he asked

Hasam smirked, "Thanks to this permanent trap, every time a monster goes to your graveyard, you lose 300 life points."

Akira frowned, "A mere inconvenience, and now _my_ trap card takes effect."

He took another Cross-Wing from his deck and slid it into his graveyard, "And my Cross-Wing has a special effect, when it's in the graveyard, all Phantom Beasts gain 300 attack points."

The dark aura around him intensified and Akira gritted his teeth in pain.

**(H: 4000) (A: 3200)**

Cross-Wing screeched with power, (1600/1300), and then it dove from its lofty perch directly at Dark Jeroid.

Hasam tapped a button on his disk and one of his face-down cards lifted up, and Dark Jeroid suddenly vanished.

Akira blinked in shock, "Wh-what happened."

"I activated my Relieve Monster trap card, this card allows me to return a monster from my field to my hand, and then I can summon any Level 4 monster in my hand to the field."

Hasam grinned and placed a card back on his disk, "So I summon Dark Jeroid again."

The fiend reappeared and exhaled its black mist, causing Cross-Wing to shriek in agony as its attack points fell. (800/1300)

Akira blinked in shock, and then glanced at his hand again. He slid another card into his disk and ended his turn.

Hasam drew and threw a card onto his disk, "I summon Newdoria in attack mode."

The gangly Fiend appeared, "Now attack his Cross-Wing with Death Grip."

Newdoria charged at the great eagle.

"I activate Horn of the Phantom Beast," shouted Akira as his set card lifted, "This card raises a Beast-Warrior's attack points by 800."

Phantom Beast Cross-Wing suddenly glowed with renewed strength and took flight, swooping towards the Fiend.

Cross-Wing's talons raked across Newdoria's belly and the Fiend groaned in pain before shattering into pixels.

**(H: 3600) (A: 3200)**

Hasam laughed in delight, "That was pointless; you fool, since Newdoria was destroyed in battle, I can destroy one monster on the field, and I choose your Cross-Wing."

"Not until my Horn's other effect kicks in, whenever the equipped monster destroys a monster in battle, I get to draw one card."

Akira drew a card, and then cringed as Phantom Beast Cross Wing exploded and Coffin Seller drained his life points even more.

"And now," ordered Hasam, "Dark Jeroid attacks you directly."

The four-legged fiend sprang forward and plunged it's pincers into Akira, drawing an involuntary scream from the young man.

**(H: 3600) (A: 1700)**

Hasam glanced at the remaining three cards in his hand, and then set two more of them face-down.

Akira drew a card, and then placed another on his disk, "I activate Monster Reincarnation, so I discard one card from my hand in order to retrieve a monster from my graveyard."

He held up Gazelle, and then played another card, "Next I activate Polymerization, to fuse Gazelle with Berfomet, in order to form, Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast." (2100/1800)

A two-headed beast appeared, one of its head looked like Gazelle's, while the other had two horns. Chimera's body was long and powerful and it had a pair of white wings sprouting from its back.

Akira played the last card in his hand, "I also summon Phantom Beast Wild Horn," (17000/0)

An ox-like creature appeared; it stood on two feet with sharp antlers and a mighty scimitar.

"And Chimera is considered to be a Phantom Beast, so both of my monsters gain 600 attack points thanks to the two Cross-Wings in my graveyard." (2700/1800) (2300/0)

Hasam laughed, "Don't forget, my Coffin Seller is still in play, and you just sent three monsters to your graveyard."

Akira cringed again, as the dark aura intensified, lowering his life points.

**(H: 3600) (A: 800)**

He glared at Hasam, "I hope you enjoyed that, because you're about to feel some pain, Chimera, attack Dark Jeroid."

The Flying Mythical Beast pounced, knocking the fiend to the floor, where it shattered.

**(H: 2100) (A: 800)**

Hasam didn't even flinch, and instead gestured, "I activate another trap card, Rope of Life."

A silver rope fell from the ceiling and into a black chasm that opened up on the floor.

A moment later the rope began to retract and a creature flew back out of the hole.

It was Dark Jeroid.

"This brings back a monster that was just destroyed, and although it costs me my hand, Dark Jeroid gains 800 attack points." (2000/800)

Hasam slid the one card in his hand into the graveyard, "And since Jeroid was summoned again, its effect activates, robbing your Wild-Horn of 800 attack points."

The foul mist appeared again and Wild Horn began to cough in pain. (1500/0)

Akira had no cards left in his hand and so he ended his turn.

Hasam snapped the top card off his deck, but didn't even glance at it, "I win," he shouted, once Jeroid destroys your Wild-Horn, you'll lose 500 points, plus 300 more points thanks to Coffin Seller."

Dark Jeroid flew toward Wild-Horn and plunged its claws into the Beast-Warrior.

At the last moment, there was a flash of light and Dark Jeroid was sent tumbling backwards, its attack unsuccessful.

"What's going on," shouted Hasam, "You had no face-down cards to stop my attack."

Akira laughed, "No, I didn't, but I did have this, Phantom Beast Thunder Pegasus." (700/2000)

"I discarded with Monster Reincarnation, and by removing it from play, I can reduce all battle damage taken by a Phantom Beast to zero."

Hasam blinked in stupefaction, and then looked down at the card he'd drawn earlier. After a moment's thought, he set the card in his Spell Zone and waved his hand.

Akira drew a card and grinned, "I activate Wild Nature's Release."

Chimera glowed with a fiery aura, and his attack points rose, (4500/1800).

"This spell lets me add Chimera's defense points to his attack points, so I can finish you off with one mighty blast. Chimera obliterate Dark Jeroid!"

The Flying Mythical Beast flew into the air, and then screamed in pain as it was suddenly ensnared by a torturous-looking wheel, floating in mid-air.

Akira blinked in shock, and Hasam laughed in glee, "My Nightmare Wheel prevents your monster from attacking, and it also deals you 500 points of damage every time my turn begins."

Akira simply gaped for a moment, then he turned Wild-Horn's card, and the Beast-Warrior knelt in Defense Mode. Then Chimera exploded into fragments, and Akira gestured, "Wild Nature's Release destroys my monster at the end of my turn, but Chimera's effect lets me summon Gazelle from the Graveyard in attack mode, and he's a Phantom Beast as well."

Gazelle reappeared and roared loudly. (2100/1200)

"Yes, but don't forget," said Hasam, "Due to Coffin Seller, you lose 300 more life points."

**(H: 2100) (A: 500)**

Hasam drew one card and looked at it with a grin, "I summon Drillago."

An infernal machine made entirely of drills appeared, and Hasam laughed, "Dark Jeroid, destroy Wild-Horn."

Dark Jeroid leapt forward, slamming it's pincers into Wild-Horn and it exploded.

Akira winced as Coffin Seller drained him even more.

**(H: 2100) (A: 200)**

"And now, for Drillago's special effect, when the only cards you have out are monsters with 1600 attack points or more, Drillago can attack you directly."

The infernal machine flew past Gazelle and struck Akira in the chest with its spinning drills.

The young man let out a horrible shriek and collapsed on the arena floor as his life points fell to zero.

**(H: 2100) (A: 0)**


	3. Chapter 3

Reiko watched as the young man's life points fell to zero and he toppled onto the arena floor, motionless. The crowd around her laughed and cursed, some lauding their new champion, others bemoaning the fall of their favorite duelist. None of it mattered to her, for her attention was fixed on the fallen duelist in the arena. To a normal viewer, it would seem that he had simply fallen unconscious, overwhelmed by the force of his opponent's attacks. But Reiko could see what the mundane could not.

Her brown eyes glowed intensely and she focused her gaze on Akira, staring not at his body, but at his aura. What she saw confirmed her suspicions and filled her with a dread. A normal aura was a pleasant blue, indicating health and strength, with some extraordinary individuals possessing a dark blue aura, signifying great strength of will. The boy's aura was a blood-red, shining brighter by the minute.

Reiko gasped involuntarily, and quickly got up from her seat in the stands, if Akira didn't receive medical assistance soon, he would die. As Reiko rushed down the stairs to the arena floor, she caught a glimpse of Hasam exiting the arena. She didn't have to see him to know that his aura was a pitch-black, shining with dark power and black evil. She had witnessed the entire duel, had seen it on a level that no other spectator could.

Hasam's power had given life to the duel monsters in a way Reiko had never seen before. This had been no mere game, but a deadly duel, involving magical spirits that had been able to attack the opponent's very essence. She didn't know who Hasam was, but she did recognize the power that he wielded, her mentor had once told her of a dark magic that could create games with life and death stakes. The same dark magic that had taken her father from her at such an early age, and left her to fend for herself in a strange and hostile world.

She reached the arena floor, just in time to see a pair of burly bouncers dragging the young man's unconscious form out. Rather than interrupt the process, for she knew that the guards would not allow her to interfere, she simply watched from a distance, as the men tossed the young man's body into a nearby alley.

As soon as the men were gone, Reiko rushed over to the young man's side, whispering words of healing. Her abilities were very limited, but she was able to focus her energy on Akira's life force. The young man gave an agonized moan, and his aura began to pulse violently. At the same time, his pulse began to fade, and Reiko realized that the man was dying.

For a moment she hesitated, not certain of what to do.

_What is your power for if not to help others?_

Her mentor's words, from so long ago echoed in her mind, and in that instant Reiko knew what she had to do.

Grasping the man's cold, callused hand in her own delicate fingers, she concentrated her power, mustering all of her reserves of energy for the powerful spell. Drawing her own energy into her hand, she began to pour it, like water from a pond. She took her own precious life force and slowly siphoned it into Akira.

She instantly began to feel cold, her fingers were growing numb and she was feeling very faint. However, even as she considered halting the process, Akira began to stir, his pulse steadying and his hands filling with warmth. Just as her vision was beginning to fade into darkness, Reiko summoned the last of her strength and jerked her hand away.

She stumbled and fell backwards, collapsing on the filthy pavement, her breath coming in short, desperate gasps.

After what seemed like hours, she managed to get up, her head pounding like a drum, but her legs steady and her vision clear.

Akira was leaning against the alley wall, his hands shaking, and his eyes were closed as if trying to avoid a nightmare that was in front of him. Reiko took a few steps and then carefully placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Are you all right, young man?"

Akira felt like _death_, he had been through hell and back, and had never felt this way before. It was as if he _had_ died, and had been somehow spared from the black abyss. He gasped as he tried to recall what had happened to him, he'd been in a duel, against a strange man, and he'd…., he'd lost, and then he'd felt blackness. Something dark, squeezing him, choking him, not his throat, but his heart, he'd felt like he was _dying_.

And then, he'd felt something else, a warm presence, something hot and soothing, that had chased away the cold darkness, burning it away with its power. Then the warmth had departed, leaving Ain feeling _alive_. He felt like _shit_, worse than any hangover he'd ever had, but he felt alive, inexplicably and assuredly alive.

"Are you all right, young man?"

Asked a voice, a voice he'd never heard before, and yet sounded so very familiar, like the pleasant tone of an angel, a gentle being. Ain slowly opened his eyes, terrified that he'd awake to the same blackness that had almost killed him.

To his surprise he could see light, the bright light of the full moon shining through a clear sky and the twinkling points of the stars. He felt a hand on his shoulder and jerked slightly, and then turned to face the stranger.

It was a woman, with long auburn hair and warm soft almond eyes, and a concerned expression on her lovely face. It was the face of an angel, thought Akira, and then he heard the woman repeat the question, her pretty face lined with exhaustion.

He blinked and then stammered, "I, I think I'm okay, I feel awful, but I'm _alive_."

A look of relief came across the woman's face, and she gave him a weary smile, "That's good," she said, "I was afraid you'd succumbed to the darkness."

Akira's eyes narrowed, "You saved me," he said, "But how did this happen to me, I was in a duel, a regular duel, how did I almost die?"

The woman looked hesitant, and Akira pressed her, "I want to know what happened, that duel, it felt _different_. Like I was really being attacked by _actual_ monsters."

The woman nodded, "In a way, you were." She glanced out of the alleyway, "I have to go," she said, "I must deal with another matter."

"Wait," said Akira, I need to know, how did Hasam do that, what device did he use to make me feel that kind of pain."

The woman stepped past him, "I can't tell you, and all you need to know is that dueling in the Underground is more dangerous than you know. You should find another profession, something safer."

She reached the mouth of the alley and abruptly stumbled, wobbling on her feet. Akira rushed forward and barely managed to catch her as she toppled backwards, catching around the arms.

He quickly propped her up against the alley, and pressed his hand to her forehead, and quickly recoiled in shock, she felt very cold, and it was a similar cold to what he had felt himself, only a few moments ago.

He quickly slung an arm around her shoulders, and began to half-drag half-carry her out of the alley. He needed to get her to a doctor.

Reiko felt a harsh light burning through her retinas and opened her eyes to find herself staring up at the ceiling. A wave of panic surged through her body and she quickly got to her feet, only to be overcome by a wave of dizziness. A pair of strong arms caught her before she fell, and settle her back down on the bed. She blinked a few times, and heard a warm, concerned voice, "Don't try to get up," it said, "The doctor will be here soon."

She rubbed her eyes for a moment, and then stared up at the voice. It was Akira, looking slightly less pale and pained, but very worried.

"Where am I," she asked, "what happened?"

"You collapsed when you tried to leave the alley," he said, "I brought you to a hospital as soon as I could."

"You shouldn't have done that," said Reiko, and she got to her feet, barely wobbling this time, "I'm fine, I just spent more energy than I thought trying to save you."

She looked around; she was in a pleasant looking room, with white walls and a clinical smell, probably a medical examination room. She grabbed her coat which was sitting on a chair and headed for the door, she had no desire to see a doctor.

"Wait," cried Akira, "You need to see a doctor, you almost collapsed."

She turned and looked him directly in the eye, "The same thing that happened to you is what happened to me, only less intense." She placed her hand on the doorknob, "I told you, you should consider getting out of the Underground." She turned the knob, "I have work to do."

She discreetly exited the room and slipped out of the hospital, aware that Akira was following her, but more intent on getting out than getting rid of him.

"Wait," said the man, and now Reiko was getting annoyed, she had already saved his life, what more did he want?

She spun to face him, letting her frustration show on her face, "Look, I already saved you and I told you what to do to prevent that from happening again, so why don't you just leave me alone!"

Akira blinked, and then annoyance shone on his face as well, "No, not until you tell me how I can get back at that bastard for almost killing me."

Reiko gave an exasperated sigh, and then glanced around, spotting an all-night café. "Fine, let's go in there, but I'm going to make it quick, I don't have all night."

She wasn't joking, after the spell she'd just enacted, she needed to replenish her energy, and there were special herbs she kept at home that could hasten the process. Still, sugar and coffee could do an adequate job for now, and perhaps the young man did deserve to know what had happened to him.


End file.
